1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to clothing and more particularly to clothing worn by the users of recreational vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles (ATV""s) and snowmobiles, in order to stay warm and dry.
2. Related Art
A variety of clothing items are marketed to the users of recreational equipment designed to keep the wearer warm and dry. The majority are lined with some type of insulation in order to trap the wearer""s body heat. Others contain some type of heating element. For example, Bell (U.S. Pat. No. 5,777,296), issued Jul. 7, 1998, discloses a battery-powered thermal garment containing electronic heating elements.
Jenkins, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,933), issued Apr. 3, 1979, discloses a garment that may be heated or cooled. It must be attached to a pressurized source of hot or cold air. The air is allowed to circulate throughout the space between the garment and the wearer.
Cano (U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,534), issued Jul. 4, 1995, discloses a heated garment for use in conjunction with a personal watercraft. Water heated by passage through the propulsion system is diverted and passed through tubing in the lining of the garment, then ejected out the back of the suit.
An object of the present invention is to create a garment that heats the wearer while operating a personal recreation vehicle, such as an ATV or snowmobile, by capturing the heat from the vehicle""s motor. It is also an objective of the invention to protect the wearer from precipitation and water splashed by the vehicle and to act as a windbreaker.
The invention comprises a garment for drivers or passengers of personal recreational vehicles, such as an ATV or snowmobile. The garment captures heat naturally produced by the vehicle""s engine which would otherwise be lost through convection to the atmosphere. The garment traps, in the space between the garment and wearer, the air warmed by proximity to the engine and the associated warm equipment, which, in turn warms the wearer. Also, the garment""s insulating properties reduce heat loss from the user""s body and from the trapped air. Hunters will find the invention especially useful because of the cold and snowy or rainy conditions they encounter, in addition to the need to frequently travel long distances. The bottom hem of the garment is usually attached, or held close, to the frame of the vehicle in order to better trap heat and to keep the garment in place. The means for attaching the garment to the vehicle preferably is strong enough to remain attached despite high winds and/or high vehicle velocity.